Tulips

brilliant sunshine, cooler and breezy, temps zero

The first of the maple syrup has arrived. Calls back and forth last night, announcing it. The cans were spotted at EdwardsFeed Store in West Brome. Pat said she'd pick us up a couple pints. And down the road cars were parked beside a cabane a sucre - basically an old shed, a sugar shack - on a neighbours property. A young man was shoveling snow - part of the process.

In the cabane a sucres of my childhood there'd be long pine tables filled with food. Baked beans, fresh bread, eggs...all smothered in maply syrup. Les Oreilles de Christ... Christ's Ears (not kidding). I can't quite remember if they were pastry or fried pork rinds. With maple syrup. I do know that Les Pets des Soeurs (Nun's farts) are pastries. I blogged about them last year when in Quebec City.

This is a glorious day - sun blinding off the snow.

Pat just arrived with the syrup. Kirk called - he's coming in a few minutes with new pillows for the living room. Cannot have too many pillows. Which reminds me - I was out with Trudy this morning, jogging with her down the driveway - when I realized that I am not designed for running...or even jogging. Too awkward. Now swimming I can do...and certainly bathing. I walk very well and toss things up into the air and catch them also very well. I have great hand/eye co-ordination, and am very good at napping. But I don't run well.

The writing went quite well today. Trying to keep the critic at bay, but that door is straining against the force of the critic wanting in. And every now and then, from the gap under it, comes a whisper - the book is dull, it's stupid. The characters are silly and characaturish. Quite a whisper. You can imagine what it says when actually allowed right into the room.

But so far, so good. Finished the second chapter. I won't tell you what happens at all...so you needn't worry.

What a relief these days are when all I need do is write and answer emails.

We're now discussing the cover designs for the American publications. Extremely interesting and very difficult in that it is so subjective, and very hard to find words to describe when a design works and when it doesn't. And why it doesn't.

Well, off to relax...I went into Sutton as soon as I finished the pages...do some grocery shopping. And bought four bouquets of tulips. Ahhhh. Now we have a huge vase of them on the pine table in the kitchen and another huge vase on the piano in the living room.

Oh, Kirk is here - must fly. Speak tomorrow...

fun chores

rainy, thunderstorms, sun - temps 20

Dear Lord, a month of weather in a day. Aren't we fortunate. One part of Quebec, the Saguenay, got 100 millimeters of rain in a day. Unbelievable.

Fun day - started early taking Michael to the walk-in clinic. Got there at 7:30...it opens at 8am. people had started lining up at 6:30 am! Fortunately we were only the 4th in line. By the time the nurse opened the doors there were about 15 of us. But apparently yesterday, after a long weekend, there were tons of people. They only let the first 20 people in. Last time we went we lined up, but then when the nurse opened the door there was a crush and people who'd just arrived pushed to the front.

Very upsetting.

this time we made a pact not to allow that to happen. Once again, some people tried, but we maintained order. funny how quickly a situation, even one as begnine as this, can become, "we" and 'they".

Doc examined Michael and gave him penicillin. Then we were off to the pharmacy to fill it, then breakfast...cafe au laits, scrambled eggs and toast. then met Kirk, who drove us to Granby to look at wallpaper and fabric for the new apartment.

Took us about 30 minutes to decide. We're quite decisive and Kirk had chosen some wonderful combinations, so we really couldn't go wrong. And Michael, being an artist, has a marvelous eye.

Then out to lunch with Kirk in Bromont. Sat outside and in the course of lunch it was cloudy, rainy and sunny.

No hail.

Then picked up Trudy at Pat's and home...don't think I'll edit book 6 today. Getting late and I need to do a few things...some letters to get out etc. But, oh bliss, I have a week with nothing to do but edit!!!! Cannot tell you how wonderful that feels...no committments at all! Not a breakfast, lunch, dinner, phone call, coffee, anything!! Just lock the door, hunker down, froth up some cafe au laits and have at Bury Your Dead.

Be well, and thank you for all your wonderfully kind words about Michael and his writing. We are very excited.

And we'll see about the made-for-TV films. I have some hope...but we'll see. Will be fun to see who would play Gamache.

Talk to you tomorrow.

When good luck takes flight

sun struggling out, but snow squalls forecast, highs minus 5

Lovely morning after a mixed day yesterday. We were in Montreal - great check-ups, all's well - and debated whether to drive back down. The wonderful Lise, who manages our office and takes care of us (she's basically our brains and our common sense) wrote to say 'stay in Montreal' since freezing rain and sleet was forecast and Autoroute 10 is dreadful in the best of times.

So we drove back.

To be fair, we were going to follow Lise's advice, but the bad weather didn't materialize, until about 4:30 when we were on the highway. Drove the last hour through sleet. But everyone kept their heads and it wasn't bad at all.

The temperatures have been fluxuation wildly - from bitterly cold to extrrmely mild. You'd expect we'd be thrilled with mild, but we're not. Partly because a Canadian winter, with snow and chill, is actually unbelievably beautiful. So quiet, everything muffled. I've never seen clarity like a brilliant sunny, crisp day after a snowstorm. Stunning. So we quite like the cold.

the other reason we love the cold is the bugs. As soon as the temperature struggles above freezing we're innundated with ladybugs. It sounds romantic. The symbol of good luck. And one or two, even ten might be. But there are swarms in our home. The guest cottage is even worse. We expect to see family and friends borne out the door on a carpet of flying ladybugs. It's especially difficult at night when the bedside lamps are one. and every bug in the house aims for it. You haven't lived until you've snorted a dozen ladybugs, for luck.

So we're happy with the cold. Especially when guests are visiting. Hard to explain how the idyllic guest cottage can suddenly become a Hitchcock set.

Still writing the party scene. Maybe this book will just be one long party scene at Peter and Clara's. Like the Mousetrap. A one set novel/play. Catered.

Must run. Was going to have a day at home just to write but at 8am got a call from Kirk wondering about material for our newheadboard, which we picked up on our way home yesterday. He needs it. So the car is warming up, Michael is exercising, dogs fed and I'm heading out to deliver 3 yards of Waverly material.

If this is the extent of my problems, keep 'em coming.

My treat today is to sit in a bubble bath (after writing) and read the new edition of Country Life. I give myself monopoly money budgets. Two million pounds is pretty much minimum.

Be well, we warm, watch out for a swarm of flying good luck.